Birthday party for Fiesta
08 February 2006 More than 3.2 million Fiestas - which was originally known as the Bobcat - have been built since 1976; that's enough to stretch from London to New York and back.
Auto Trader's Stuart Milne takes a fond look back.
It's not hard to understand why the Fiesta has been so successful. At launch, you'd only have had to part with £1,856 for the basic model, but even now, you'll only need to wave £8,395 at your local dealer to get your hands on one.
That said; it has always been much more than just a cheap urban kickaround.
For 30 years it's been the first car of choice for tens of thousands of teenagers. Many will remember driving to a high school party in one, having their first in-car snog or simply for enjoying those fun halcyon days before mortgages, kids and responsibility.
Even if the Fiesta's role was simply to get you around in, it was still a cracking car. It was BigSmall when the Yaris wasn't even a twinkle in Toyota's eye. If it broke down, parts were cheap and it was simple to fix. In short, it was a winning formula.
Born of necessity
Ford invested more than £500 million in the secret Bobcat project, which was destined to be its first real foray into the compact front-wheel-drive class. The first Fiesta rolled off its German production line at the height of the famously hot summer of 1976, and entered the British market seven months later. Over a million Fiestas were cruising the blacktop by 1979.
Keen to add a bit of jazz to the range, Ford told its Essex-based Special Vehicle Technology to give them a safe, fun car that could top a ton. In 1981 the wraps were pulled from the XR2, and within two years more than 20,000 found homes.
The next generation
Ford launched the long-awaited Mk2 in 1983 and celebrated the three millionth Fiesta with a champagne coloured Ghia model. This was the 1980s after all.
The Fiesta ushered in its teenage years with a comprehensive redesign in 1989. The Mk3 set the design mould for another 13 years.
Looking back, the Mk3 wasn't a high point for the Fiesta range, save for the RS Turbo hot hatch hooligan and the slightly more civilised RS1800i. The range did have a decent level of kit however, with optional anti-lock brakes and more efficient engine line up.
The Mk4 range of 1995 was powered by an all-new range of Zetec engines and featured a major styling update. It sold well too, leading Ford to invest heavily in its plant in Cologne and production capacity rose to 1,160 a day - or one every four seconds. Ford rattled through two more models over the next decade. The Mk5 featured a peppy range of 16-valve engines that put the driving experience up there with the best of its rivals. In 1999, the world said "hi" to a major facelift, which was long overdue. These revisions more than served their purpose until 2002, the seventh generation was introduced.
So is the Fiesta still relevant in today's supermini market?
This success has continued into the 'noughties', and the Fiesta accounted for more than 14 per cent of sales - 84,000 - in 2005.
The current model is loaded with kit that would have seemed like science fiction back in 1976, including satellite navigation, integrated Bluetooth hands free system, up to six airbags and a heated front windscreen.
But despite the extra weight that these accessories bring, the original concept of a cheap, reliable and economical car still rings true.
The Fiesta's range of state-of-the-art petrol and diesel engines all produce more power than the original XR2 - and the hardcore Fiesta ST kicks out a staggering 78 per cent more than its great uncle.
A single Mk1 produced the same toxic emissions as 50 new Fiestas; and the latest model is 85 per cent recyclable, too. That's not to mention that it could get from London to Inverness on a single tank of fuel. Something that the original couldn't even dream of.
1973 Project Bobcat launches
|
In the mid-1970s, Ford realised there was a gap in the market. The 1973 Suez oil crisis was a wake-up call for the World's car makers. There was a real need for a mass-produced, economical car with an excellent space package.
Adopting the 'new-edge' styling that was pioneered by the original Focus, the latest Fiesta remains one of the best superminis around; something that is backed up by its sales figures. The Fiesta is the only car to occupy an annual top ten slot since 1977. Not only that, but it has been the UK's best selling car five times in the 1990s.Page 1
